The movie is out
on video so LucasArts has their game out to coincide with this event. Jedi Power
Battles plops our favorite Jedi into a beat-em-up, a first for LucasArts and their Star
Wars games. While this should be a marriage made in heaven, LucasArts has managed to
screw this one up on nearly every level.
Adrenalin pumping intros are the norm for this company, and this game is no exception. Unfortunately, this is the games highlight. The look of the game is marred by its low resolution, resulting in one of the most pixelated games in the history of Playstation. The backgrounds are a mess with muddy and dark colors hiding any detail the designers have implemented. This makes some jumps an impossibility since you can't see where the platforms begin and end. The stiff animation slows your character down to a crawl as attacks must cycle before another begins.
This is where things fall apart. The sluggish feel to the controls are bad enough when attacking. When trying to complete complicated, nearly hidden platform jumps, it's ridiculous. Boss battles suffer the worst, and if you're lucky enough to traverse the levels to combat them, you won't make it out alive.
Of course, the music is always a saving grace in any Star Wars game. All of the sounds have been ripped right from the film and the soundtrack composed by John Williams is represented flawlessly. "Duel of the Fates" adds some needed power to the action, but doesn't stop the aggravation.
Five characters
are selectable to make the journey through the game which follows the events in the film
closely. Each of them have force powers, but these are nowhere near as powerful as they
should be, nor are they very useful. Regular attacks vary from character to character and
these are the moves that will take players through the game. Facing more than one enemy at
a time is an exercise in frustration, even with the addition of a lock-on button. Cheap
hits are also the norm and these could've been avoided if the design wasn't so flawed.
This game is a complete disappointment from beginning to end. Strip the name "Star Wars" from the title and no more than 10 people would give it a second thought. We all know LucasArts is capable of more, which makes this games quality all the more baffling.
